Two Bears Filmed 'Dancing' in Florida Homeowner's Backyard

A Florida homeowner has captured an extraordinary encounter between two bears that took place in his backyard.

In footage shared with Newsweek by Ring, two bears can be seen frolicking on the lawn of a property in Navarre, Florida. The bears initially jostle before the encounter evolves into something that appears almost flirtatious. The two animals seem to start "dancing" with each other on the grass.

David, the homeowner who originally captured the footage on an outdoor security camera, told Ring he suspects the two bears were "courting" in the clip. "My next-door neighbor told us the bears were coming over [her fence], so I went live on the camera," David said. "She had made the comment that she thought they were trying to mate. So maybe they were courting."

The breeding season for Florida bears runs from June to August, with cubs born around late January and early February. As a result, bears are often more visible during this period. This is according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

In the event of an encounter with a bear near the home, the FWC recommends taking action to ward the animals away from the property. "You want to let the bear know it is not welcome in your yard," the FWC says. "So, from a safe location, scare it away by yelling, banging pots and pans, using an air horn, or anything else that makes a lot of noise."

David, the Florida homeowner behind this footage, is still in awe of what he witnessed on the security camera. "It was very cool," he said. "This camera had only been up a few days when this happened, so hopefully more to come." The video has surfaced days after another bear was spotted in Florida enjoying a swim in the waters off Destin beach.

David's video of the flirtatious bears might make for an extraordinary watch, but it's not the only instance of a bear invading a homeowner's backyard in unusual circumstances.

Earlier this year, CCTV cameras captured a large bear enjoying a well-earned soak in the pond of a house in Reno, Nevada. The homeowner began to suspect something was amiss after noticing the water levels in the pond had changed significantly overnight. But they were ill prepared for the video that greeted them when they checked what had been recorded on a nearby security camera.

In another unusual encounter, a bear was filmed devouring seeds from a bird feeder in the garden of a home in Massachusetts. The up-close footage captured on a camera built into the feeder made for unsettling viewing.

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